


The Tokyo Owl

by afterhoursfiction



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Kuroo-centric, M/M, Multi, Rating May Change, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Street Racing AU, but later, lots of japanese cars
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-20 08:09:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11331825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afterhoursfiction/pseuds/afterhoursfiction
Summary: On a quiet night drive, Kuroo runs into the Tokyo Owl - the loud and stunning Bokuto Koutarou. Then he follows Bokuto into the world of street racing, meeting his pretty but snarky mechanic and finding home between open roads and worn tires.





	The Tokyo Owl

**Author's Note:**

> Presenting the street racing au I've been wanting to write for over a year. As a disclaimer, I neither own nor have ever driven a car. Though I did try to make my writing as accurate as possible based on whatever I could dig up. Also, the fic is set in 2012 but the only thing it really affects are the car models.
> 
> Thanks tawni for beta-ing this!

On the cusp of midnight, just after the last trains pull into their stations, the Tokyo Owl appears. It's something of an urban legend; a white Mitsubishi Evo that soars down the expressways, dancing through traffic with little abandon. Marked with black racing stripes and gold decals, it doesn't burn as bright as distasteful neon cars of owners with more money than skill. Still, there's nothing surreptitious about them . They're  the head of a hashiriya gang – a street racing group - Tetsurou hears.

But urban legends are urban legends, and Kuroo Tetsurou is just himself. It's a sweltering summer night and Tetsurou feels too jittery to crawl into bed and call it a day, so for an hour, he lets himself sink back into old habits instead. Tetsurou climbs into his Mazda RX-8, a deep red coupe that has been his faithful partner for nearly four years. The leather seats are cool to the touch and the whirring of the A/C is a blessing. With the key in the ignition, the engine purrs to life.

_Ah, good old night drives._

The streets of Shiohama are narrow, small single-lanes that weave through blocks of small shops and apartments. It's a quiet town, unlike bigger cities in the heart of Tokyo. Here, there are no blazing neon lights to chase, only the still, empty night. Tetsurou gradually picks up speed as he turns onto the main streets. There's something about the low thrum of the engine and the mechanical workings that soothes him, especially on restless nights. He accelerates into a comfortable 100km/h climbing onto the highway, following the trail of streetlights in an aimless drive. At nearly 1AM, the road opens up - a quiet and boundless haven. Tetsurou loves this. He pushes the car to go a little faster, chasing down the empty horizon.

It's when he's in that hazy euphoria that he sees _them._

A white Mitsubishi Evo with black racing stripes. It passes him, cutting him off before speeding down the empty lane.

Tetsurou forgets the twenty-something that he is, the job he works five and a half days at and the half of an apartment that he owns. It sparks _something_ in him, and he forgets that it's an urban legend. His foot presses down on the pedal, making the gear shift before he can think twice. Tetsurou chases them.

The quiet, serene night becomes thrilling.

They know he's chasing them. Tetsurou gets a little closer, and just as he eases up to avoid bumping them, they pull away. It's like they're playing tag.

Tetsurou laughs, feeling childish.

It's been a while since he's had this much fun driving. He wants to know who they are - the curiosity has him trying to edge closer again.

Soon, he's pushing into fourth gear, cruising just under 200km/h - they're probably hanging at the same speed. Tetsurou has fallen into their rhythm, following just a few feet behind their tail.

Then, the Evo flashes their brake lights, gradually easing up. Tetsurou quickly follows suit, downshifting to match. They put on a turn signal, flashing their brake lights once, before Tetsurou realises what they are telling him.

_Follow me._

Somewhat dumbstruck, he follows them off the highway.

 

The Evo leads him through a few turns, before pulling up at an empty street. The driver climbs out, slamming the door loudly behind them. Tetsurou's heart purrs excitedly in his chest as he stumbles out to meet them.

"A Mazda, huh?" they say.

Tetsurou blinks, taking in the harsh sweep of their hair - two horn-like spikes at the tip of their head. They tilt their head, studying Tetsurou with wide, round eyes.

They are the Tokyo Owl - he suddenly realises.

"Y-yea," Tetsurou responds, a little belatedly. "And that's an Evo X, right?"

They perk up, amused.

"Yea, good eye!"

Tetsurou grins. The Evo X had been easy to recognise from its aggressive front and prominent rear spoiler. But now that they are pulled over, Tetsurou gets a better look at the car - specifically at the gold decal on the side. The kanji character for owl - _fukuro -_ is painted in artful calligraphy. Tetsurou had seen his fair share of car decals in his life, and they were always someone's impulsive idea or the tag of a street racer. Which brought him back to consider their involvement in hashiriya circles..

"Neat, isn't it?" They grin, pleased. "I'm Bokuto by the way, Bokuto Koutarou!"

A hand extends towards Tetsurou.

If they are a recognised hashiriya, and have ties to gangs - Tetsurou isn't sure he wants to be involved. But it's a strange hour, and Bokuto's smile lights up like a thousand lights on the highway. It's a curiosity, a pull, and a gravitation when he smiles back to match.

"Kuroo," Tetsurou takes their hand. "Kuroo Tetsurou."

"Mhm! You're pretty good huh, Kuroo, keeping up with me back there?" Bokuto goes on. "Are you a hashiriya?"

"Oh-" Tetsurou releases their hands. "No, I'm not. I'm just a- regular driver, whatever."

"Hmm?" Bokuto narrows his eyes, leaning closer. "Well, that makes sense. You didn't know me, and I'm like, _famous."_

"Maybe you're just not famous enough for me to know you," Tetsurou counters playfully. Although he _has_ heard of the Tokyo Owl, but he doesn't want to feed that to Bokuto just yet.

"Hey! I'm Tokyo's night owl!" Bokuto straightens, defensive.

“Is that so?” Tetsurou teases. “I mean, I can’t tell if your skills are real or if you just have a nice paint job.”

 _"Oh-_ okay." Bokuto sucks in a breath, clearly riled up. "I can show you. I can _totally_ show you. You should find me tomorrow-"

Bokuto ducks back into his car, before hurriedly emerging with a memo that he pushes into Tetsurou's hand.

"Go there and tell them you're looking for me!"

Tetsurou opens the memo that is scribbled on the back of a faded receipt.

_FukuroSoba_

A Tokyo address was written below. Tetsurou folds up the note, slipping it into his wallet.

"Sure thing." Tetsurou smiles. "I'd like to see what the infamous Tokyo owl can do."

"Yea, you better shut up and watch me when I drive!" Bokuto hollers back, climbing into his car.

Tetsurou gives a small wave before slipping back into his coupe. The Evo takes off then, the roar of its engine loud in the still night. Tetsurou takes a moment to sit back, feeling just the slightest bit giddy from his encounter. It feels something like a strange, waking dream that summer has thrown at him. He thinks about chasing it like a young teenage boy, drawn to the purr of turbo-chargers and addicted to the bite of air rushing past windows. Tetsurou thinks about the shifting of gears, with the stick shift at his hand and in less literal ways.

He drives home, feeling somewhat caught between himself.

 

* * *

 

_10 tabs of cetirizine and paracetomol._

Tetsurou picks out the medicine, fitting them into snug little ziplock bags and sticking the prescription stickers on them.

"Yagami-san!" He calls out.

The patient is a middle-aged man, down with the common cold. Tetsurou explains their medication to them while they nod sluggishly.

It's only two in the afternoon and Tetsurou already feels dead. The A/C whirs mechanically behind them, meekly fighting off the summer heat. He's thankful for its valiant efforts - the clinic is just cool enough for him to keep his white uniform coat on without breaking out in sweat. Tetsurou likes his job well enough, he supposes. He's part pharmacist, receptionist and cashier in this small family clinic. The work area is cramped full with shelves of patient records and drawers of various medicine, with a single PC and printer perched on a desk. There are stacks of papers everywhere, too - forms for referrals, subsidy schemes; just about everything. Somehow, Tetsurou and his colleague maneuver this mess every day.

It's not ideal _,_ but the Nobuyukis have carried a good reputation in the neighbourhood for over a decade, and Tetsurou doesn't know where else to take his medicine degree. The doctor is a nice guy anyway, and his colleague is, too.

"Can you make your long arms useful and grab that record for me?"

Well, some days he is.

"Yakkun, my long arms are _always_ useful," Tetsurou retorts, hurt.

"We really ought to digitize these records, it'll make things easier," Yaku remarks, pointedly ignoring him.

Tetsurou sets the record down on their cluttered desk.

"Well, we need to actually have the time to do that," he says, straightening up and resting his hands on his hips. "And we just upgraded from Windows XP last year."

"Yea." Yaku flips open the record, looking it over before adding it to the pile of waiting patients. "By the way you look like shit, Kuroo."

"Wow." Tetsurou clicks his tongue, affronted. "Can't you find a nicer way to say something?"

"I just say it as it is." Yaku shrugs.

Tetsurou had gotten home late last night, and it was nearly three when he finally crawled into bed. The night drive had done its work, and probably more, because he konked out as soon as he hits the pillow. He barely got five hours of sleep in before he had to crawl up for work again, so his bed-hair and dark eye circles are infinitely worse.

Tetsurou scrubs his eyes with the back of his hands. There's a lull in their work as they wait for the doctor to finish up the consultation. He slumps into the shaky plastic stool in the corner of the office. Tetsurou hads't had time to think about the previous night and the memo that sits in his wallet. It's a Saturday, so the clinic closes by 6PM. Despite how tired he feels, he's excited by the prospect of looking up the address. He's excited to see Bokuto Koutarou again.

 

The rest of the day moves slowly. Tetsurou tends to a few more patients, reminding them to stay hydrated in summer. By half-past six, they manage to close up and Tetsurou climbs into his car.

He retrieves the memo from his wallet, reading it over properly for the first time.

'FukuroSoba' is located in Shinkiba. Bokuto has scribbled down the district, but has forgotten the block number. Or maybe he just wants Tetsurou to drive around like an idiot until he finds it. It reminds him of their short meeting on the highway - it already feels like something typical of Bokuto. Shaking his head in disbelief, Tetsurou sets off.

According to the GPS, it's a quick drive once he gets on the expressway. Tetsurou has never been to Shinkiba, despite it being close by. All he knows is that it's close to the bay, there's some wood museum and a night club where some pretty famous people DJ-ed. Other than that, it's mostly another quiet town.

 

Some fifteen minutes later, he's cruising along the district, searching for the shop. Here, the buildings are short and the roads wide and sparse. He's thankful that he doesn't have to squeeze through tight alleyways, in addition to having no fucking idea where the shop is. Eventually, after driving much slower than he is used to, he spots the shop at the corner of the block and pulls over.

It's past 6PM but as expected of summer, the late-afternoon sun still hangs low in the sky, stewing the earth. FukuroSoba's name is painted in katakana, glowing with a faint neon against the stubborn light. Tetsurou climbs out of his car, walking towards the modest-looking shop. The interior is a mix of off-white walls and tiles, seemingly put-together out of practicality than for appearances. The shop must be old, he considers. The blue mosaic patterned floor, for one, is definitely not from this decade. It reminds him of families and cozy companies.

The cashier looks up - a young woman with cherry-coloured hair packed into a messy bun. She perks up, shooting him a lazy smile.

"What would'cha like to have?"

"Um."

Tetsurou looks over the menu by the counter. Its colourful fonts and images are not the easiest to follow, but he gathers that they serve yakisoba and cold soba here. With the weather being nothing short of sweltering, he considers something cold-

"The yakisoba is our speciality," she suggests. "Our chef is very good at it."

"Yakisoba then," Tetsurou responds, looking up.

"Okay," she chirps, entering his order. "That will be 1300 yen."

Tetsurou reels. It was- _what?_ 1300 yen for yakisoba? He glances back at the menu quickly - he had skimmed over the prices because they had been so difficult to read.

There was no mistake. But it was, without a doubt, very much overpriced. God, did Bokuto lead him here to _rob_ him?

Still, the cashier is staring at him expectantly, tapping her nails against the register. He reluctantly hands the cash over.

"Thank you!" She says cheerily, handing him an order receipt. "You can take a seat first."

Tetsurou nods numbly, still bothered by the unexpected blow to his wallet. He takes a seat at a small table by the wall, sinking into a wooden stool. Then he remembers that he had forgotten to ask about Bokuto, and groans.

The shop is mostly empty. The only other patrons are a group of older uncles seated with some food and beer, chatting loudly amongst themselves. Tetsurou wonders how they can stay here for so long, when the swivelling fans do little to dispel the heat and the seats are uncomfortable at best. If Bokuto isn't here after all, then Tetsurou isn't sure what he had come here for.

"Your yakisoba."

A plate of steaming yakisoba noodles is set on the table before him. Tetsurou looks up.

The waiter is a young man with dark, curly hair. For the unflattering pink polo tee and khaki pants he sports, he is somehow uncomfortably good-looking.

"Enjoy your meal," he remarks with disinterest, before turning to leave.

"W-wait!" Tetsurou calls out quickly, remembering his purpose. "I'm looking for Bokuto!"

The man pauses and regards Tetsurou with dark, hooded eyes.

"He told me to find him here," Tetsurou continues.

"Is that so?" The waiter raises his eyebrows. "What business do you have with him?"

Tetsurou suddenly realises that this may be difficult.

"We uh- met off the highway last night. And he told me to find him here and he'll show me how he drives," Tetsurou explains. "Look, can you just tell him I'm here?"

Uncomfortably Good-looking leans over his table and for a brief moment Tetsurou wonders how he can also look intimidating in baby pink.

"And you are...?"

"Kuroo, tell him Kuroo's here." Tetsurou fights the urge to slink away from his intense gaze.

"Kuroo-san, hm?"

He isn't going to fucking get Bokuto. Tetsurou probably has better chances hollering for him at the top of his voice; at the worst, he’ll get kicked out for making a ruckus. But right now? Tetsurou isn't sure what nasty stick this man has up his ass but somehow asking about Bokuto is going to get Tetsurou killed, he's sure.

"Akaashi! Who are you-"

Tetsurou looks up at strange salt-and-pepper hair styled like horns of an owl.

"Hey hey hey Kuroo!" Bokuto beams, coming up to his table. "Why didn't you tell me he was here, Akaashi?"

Akaashi frowns as he steps aside.

"Bokuto-san, I've told you not to call random strangers here."

"But he's cool!" Bokuto argues, like it could be a good enough reason for Stick-up-his-ass.

Akaashi glowers at Tetsurou, but backs off, much to his surprise.

 

After Akaashi disappears into the kitchen, Bokuto plants himself in the seat across from Tetsurou and the mood takes a 180. In the warm flush of the shop, Tetsurou looks him over properly for the first time. Bokuto's hair has really been styled to just go _up_ , though some stray hairs have escaped and are hanging over his forehead. His eyes are round and golden, staring intently at Tetsurou as sweat trickles down his jaw. In true summer spirit, Bokuto is wearing a white tank top that shows his arms and his arms are - _wow._

"You should eat that yakisoba, I cooked it!" Bokuto says, crashing Tetsurou's train of thoughts.

"Oh, you did?" Tetsurou responds smoothly, picking up his chopsticks and digging into the meal.

The yakisoba is good. The flavour is full and the texture of the noodles is just right. Even the chicken strips are good. Tetsurou tries to think about the yakisoba more and less about Bokuto's arms.

"Yo, Bokuto this is awesome!" Tetsurou says through his food.

"I know, right!" Bokuto grins. "Shirofuku says I'm awesome at cooking!"

Tetsurou suddenly recalls that he doesn't have a drink, and his throat is starting to feel parched. He won't be a great pharmacist if he couldn't even follow his own advice, right?

"Hey Bokuto, could I get some iced water?"

Bokuto immediately turns over, yelling much louder than he needs to.

"Akaashi! Kuroo wants some iced water!"

Tetsurou shrinks and regrets asking for anything at all. In the same casual nonchalance he had carried, Akaashi returns to their table with a drink, setting it down on the table soundlessly.

"Thank you, Akaashi." Tetsurou takes the drink, making sure to shoot him a smile.

"That will be 80 yen, Kuroo-san," Akaashi adds dryly.

Tetsurou splutters.

"Akaashi, we're not gonna make Kuroo pay for water!" Bokuto whines.

"Yea, already robbed me with the food," Tetsurou adds weakly.

"Is he coming with us tonight?" Akaashi says suddenly.

Tetsurou looks between them, lost.

"He's not going to cause trouble, Akaash," Bokuto says. "I just wanna show him around, it's cool."

"Fine," Akaashi concedes, turning on his heel. "You tell the others."

Tetsurou watches him return to the back, noting the way his shoulders seem tensed.

"So yeah, Kuroo." Bokuto claps his hands together, looking a little sheepish about the earlier exchange. "You wanna come with us tonight?"

"Come with you to...?"

"The Fukurodani meet," Bokuto answers, a smirk stretching across his lips.

 

* * *

 

The Fukurodani meet, as explained by Bokuto, is a friendly night where the members of the Fukurodani group gather to hang out and practice with each other. It starts at 10PM, once the roads are clear. Then, the members will take turns to run laps and practice drifts.

Darkness swims over the small town of Shinkiba, clashing against the warm glare of shops lining the street. Tetsurou is already buzzing with excitement when he climbs into his car, following Bokuto's sedan into the main street, and then the highway. Their drive takes them south, over a dark mass of ocean, to Wakasu island. Half of the island is an industrial zone, while the other half houses a seaside park. Hours after sundown, the roads become a paradise for the hashiriya.

Bokuto leads him to a parking lot, where they shift into park before climbing out. It seems like the rest of Fukurodani is already there - Tetsurou spots a Nisssan Skyline, a Mercedes-Benz and an Audi.

"Hey hey hey guys!" Bokuto hoots, throwing an around around Tetsurou. "I brought a new guy today - meet Kuroo!"

Tetsurou tries not to wince at the uncomfortable way his body was being twisted.

"Hey," he says casually.

"A Mazda driver?" One of them quips, glancing pointedly at the red coupe.

"Yeap!" Bokuto nods enthusiastically.

"I tried to tell Bokuto-san not to drag random strangers here."

Tetsurou turns at the familiar voice.

A metallic blue Honda Civic is parked next to his Mazda, with Akaashi leaning lightly against the bonnet, looking somewhat resigned. Right, of course Akaashi would be here.

"I think this could be fun," another one of them remarks, shrugging.

Bokuto introduces Tetsurou to all the members of the Fukurodani owls. Sarukui Yamato is the driver of the Nissan Skyline. The coupe had been redone with a solid lime green finish, giving it a fresh and striking look despite the numerous scratches around the bumper. Komi Haruki drives the Mercedes-Benz, an orange rear-wheel drive coupe with a 'neat naturally-aspirated engine'. The brand new pearlescent black Audi TT belongs to Konoha Akinori, who is still paying off installments for it so he's not slow, just careful. Akaashi Keiji drives the Honda Civic, which he doesn't elaborate on, apart from insisting in its reliability.

Tetsurou is pleased to learn that everyone had good taste. God, he feels at home.

He tells them about his Mazda RX-8, a coupe with a rather unique rotary engine. The drivers of Fukurodani listened with interest, even Akaashi. Tetsurou feels like a kid showing off his toy at the playground. It wasn't so bad, chasing the Tokyo Owl.

Then Bokuto got to talk about his car, which is a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X - or at least, until he popped the bonnet. Tetsurou had heard of car mods and had even done some of his own, but only ever the basic stuff like switching the air intakes or mufflers. Under the bonnet of Bokuto's car was a scrambled machine. Tetsurou couldn't tell what was stock anymore, but he was certain that the engine and turbo-charger had been replaced.

"It's tuned too," Bokuto adds. "'Kaashi tuned it."

Tetsurou blinks, turning to the dark-haired man.

"I am Bokuto-san's mechanic," he states.

For a moment Tetsurou is overcome with the urge to shake Akaashi and get the man to talk about the ridiculous mods he had done on Bokuto's car, but he remembers that they have came here to do something and not just stand around and talk. Besides, he can tell Bokuto is getting restless, and he is itching to try things out for himself with his RX-8.

"Hey Bokuto, weren't you gonna show me how you drive?"

Bokuto turns to him, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"Yea! I'm like, the fastest on the team!"

"And I'm the second," Konoha adds coolly.

"Not since you changed your car," Komi refutes. "We haven't got a new time for you so you're like, number zero."

Sarukui snickers behind them.

"And what about you, how fast are you?" Tetsurou turns to Akaashi, a mirthful smile on his lips.

"That's none of your business, Kuroo-san," he answers breezily, climbing into his car. "And I don't race."

The door slams behind him and Tetsurou blinks, perplexed by his words.

 

They drive to an intersection, before Bokuto rolls down his window and speaks loud enough for everyone.

"Man, I feel like doing some laps today, you guys up for it?"

"Whatever you want, Bokuto," Konoha answers casually.

"How slow are you gonna be, Konoha? Since you're scared to scratch your new Audi and all," Sarukui teases.

"Wow Saru, I am _very_ tempted to put a new dent in your stupid green car," Konoha retorts, exasperated.

"That will scratch your paint job for sure, Konoha-san," Akaashi cuts in. "Can we decide the order we are running in?"

"Can I go first?" Bokuto asks. "Then maybe like Kuroo, and Saru..."

"Okay, you will go first then, Bokuto-san," Akaashi nods, then adds "Drive safely."

The Evo revs with a low growl, before setting off with a steady roar. The Tokyo Owl speeds down the intersection, disappearing behind the bend with the loud squeal of an unmistakable powerslide.

"Whew," Tetsurou whistles, curling his fingers over the steering wheel and stick shift.

Akaashi times a 10-second interval, before calling Tetsurou up.

"Kuroo-san, you're next, ready?" He peers at him from where he's parked at the side of the intersection.

"Hell yeah," Tetsurou replies, revving up his engine.

He looks to Akaashi for an okay, before he's setting off to chase Bokuto.

The roads run in a straight line, under the harsh glare of streetlights. It’s perfect for pushing his RX-8. Tetsurou accelerates, pushing to get more and more until he feels the road running out under the tires. A bend is coming up - Tetsurou eases on the gas, shifting to match and steering to slide into the bend. His hands are quick and careful on the wheel, bringing him through the bend with his tyres squealing.

It’s far from perfect - still too shaky, he thinks - but Tetsurou smiles to himself as he kicks out of the bend. The Evo sits up ahead, brake lights flashing.

Bokuto shows him what he's made of.

Tetsurou lets him run up ahead, ploughing aggressively into the bend before them. Then he watches Bokuto execute a clean, nearly 90-degree drift through the bend. Tetsurou's jaw falls open.

The roads are wide with plenty of breathing space, and he has definitely cut into another lane whenever he pulled a drift through. But Bokuto's drift was so _tight._ He managed to fit his Evo through the bend without eating into another lane, and had barely clipped the corner of the bend when he did so.

He’s so dumbstruck that he just makes a normal turn through as he tails Bokuto back.

 

"I feel _super_ good today!" Bokuto exclaims as soon as he gets out of his car. "Like, I just did a great drift! Kuroo, you saw it right?"

"Yea," he blinks, too astonished to refute it. "It was amazing."

"Man I wanna race someone!" Bokuto goes on. "Who wants to race me?"

His excited golden eyes sweep across the group.

"No thanks, Bokuto. I already know I'm gonna lose," Komi responds.

"Same here," Sarukui shakes his head despairingly. "You're too good."

"How about Kuroo-san?" Akaashi suggests.

"What?" Tetsurou raises his eyebrows as everyone turns their attention to him.

"We haven't gotten to see how you fare against Bokuto-san." Akaashi shrugs, nonchalant.

"Yea, who knows? You might have a chance," Konoha remarks.

"Kuroo! Do you wanna race me?" Bokuto turns to him, his eyes glowing with robust enthusiasm.

Even though Tetsurou has just seen him pull off an insane drift and was now pretty certain that Bokuto Koutarou was the real deal, he agrees to the race.

 

* * *

 

The race starts at the intersection, a straight road that turns before the highway and rounds through the industrial park, before finishing up at the same crossing.

"It's a simple course but since you're new, we'll give you a handicap," Akaashi explains. "Bokuto-san will start after you, and as long as you can keep your lead, you win."

"But if I overtake you, you lose!" Bokuto adds helpfully.

"Yes, that is correct, Bokuto-san," Akaashi continues. "If you run into any trouble, please put on your hazard lights immediately. Use this to radio me or Komi-san."

He hands portable radios to both Tetsurou and Bokuto.

"This goes without saying, but please drive safely."

"We will, Akaash." Bokuto flashes him a thumbs-up before climbing into his Evo.

They line up their cars along the road, with Tetsurou's RX-8 in front.

"Hey Bokuto," Tetsurou starts, trying to catch the latter in his rearview mirror. "Hope you get used to seeing my taillights, 'cause that's all you'll be catching tonight."

"Oh yea? Y'know I'm not a bird-of-prey for nothing!" Bokuto returns. "I'll catch you and make you kiss my ass!"

There is a small grunt of annoyance beside them.

"I hope we'll actually get to see some racing tonight, and not just the two of you running your mouths," Akaashi says.

Ouch. They shut up quickly, and Tetsurou turns his attention to the road before him. It's a stretch of straight, easy road. But it's been a while since he had driven like this; uninhibited by traffic rules and speed limits. The adrenaline starts his blood pumping, loud and excitable under his skin. Akaashi does the countdown; a clear, cool voice reading off the numbers.

"3...2...1"

Tetsurou hits the gas, and feels nothing short of alive.

The first stretch is air rushing past him. His faithful companion pushes forward, engine pulsing under his hands. The car tears through the path, eating up road like fuel for faster, _faster._ The bend is coming up. This time, Tetsurou is less rusty - he can estimate the metres as he comes up to the corner. The weight-shift is sudden, but deliberate, when he pulls the stick. The rear end spins out, and then it's a matter of countersteering. It's riveting every time it happens - the first slide of the tires, and then the careful steering to control it. It's a tenacious fight, sometimes, and it's nothing short of thrilling. Tetsurou always feels a little burst of euphoria when he kicks out of a bend.

Bokuto must have started already. Tetsurou can't see him yet, but he knows that aggressive front will make itself felt.

It's an easy, straight-forward course. But Tetsurou can't let his guard down when he knows that Bokuto could come up behind him at any time. He wrestles with the clutch, switching gears to kick the car to drift through the bends. On one hand, Tetsurou just wants a straight road to run his engine into the ground. But on the other, each turn keeps him on his toes, and he relishes in every one that he pushes through.

Bokuto catches up to him. Tetsurou spies his headlight in his rearview mirror first, and then the Evo is tailgating him.

There's not much Tetsurou can do to shake him off. He could try to go faster, but another turn is coming up and he doesn't want to risk losing control. So he just tries to hold his front, focusing on the road ahead of him.

He catches Bokuto in his side mirror, easing up beside him.

"Fuck," he groans.

Then, as luck would have it, after the third turn the road straightens up for another 400 metres or so. Tetsurou grabs the chance to accelerate immediately, increasing the throttle and pulling away from Bokuto.

He manages to draw a reasonable gap. Since Bokuto's Evo is turbo-charged, he was probably falling back from the lag. If only Tetsurou could see the disappointment on Bokuto's face; he almost wants to wave out the window at him when-

His car seizes up.

Tetsurou nearly slams into the dashboard but doesn't, thankfully for seatbelts. He just lunges forward almost comically as his car stutters to a stop.

Talk about the worst luck.

Bokuto is still behind him, so he quickly switches on his hazard lights. Begrudgingly, Tetsurou picks up the radio.

"Uh, hey Akaashi?" He starts.

"What is the matter, Kuroo-san?"

"I uh- my car seized up."

 

They tow his car back.

Tetsurou's car has broken down in several embarrassing situations. One time, it stuttered to a stop in the middle of a busy highway and he had to wait nearly an hour for a tow truck. It had been an excruciating hour of disgruntled drivers and Tetsurou apologising profusely. Another time, it broke down in a narrow street, blocking up the alleyway and invoking the wrath of several neighbours. The old lady next door still hates him.

But this is, by far, the worst. Bokuto had pulled up beside him and laughed.

To be fair, he had been pushing her a little hard. His last maintenance had been a while ago, too. Tetsurou sighs, slumping against his seat. The orange Benz hums smoothly as it cruises over the ocean back to Shinkiba. Komi had been kind enough to offer him a ride, but Tetsurou wants to be in his _own_ car. He wants to have finished the race at least.

"Cheer up, man!" Komi glances across at him. "Akaashi's a great mechanic, he'll fix her up."

Tetsurou forces a wry smile back.

 

The garage behind FukuroSoba is a certain brand of organised chaos. Inside the cold concrete and raised ceilings, harsh fluorescent beats down on various cars - from the common Toyota to other foreign sports cars. Shelves of miscellaneous car parts are pushed against the walls - everything from spare tyres to engine parts. The Fukurodani garage looks half like a motor shop and half like a JDM tuning garage.

"I will look at your car tomorrow," Akaashi says to Tetsurou as his car is towed into a corner of the garage. "It's getting late now."

"Don't worry, Akaashi's an awesome mechanic!" Bokuto assures, smacking Tetsurou on his back.

"Yeah," Tetsurou smiles. It's weird - when his car had broken down, he was sure he would be in a sore mood. But it's hard to feel awful when they've towed his car back to their garage and arranged to fix it easily without complaint.

"Thanks," he adds, a little sheepish. "For having me and uh- helping me with all this."

"Happens to the best of us," Konoha says. "That race was interesting - or well, while it lasted."

"You tackled that bend well," Sarukui adds quickly. "You should join us again."

"It'll be nice to have someone other than the cocky owl, hm?"

They turn to the door, where the cherry-haired girl from FukuroSoba is leaning against the frame.

"Shirofuku!" Bokuto exclaims, golden eyes wide.

"Also, you know..." she tilts her head in a somewhat both playful and threatening gesture. "I own this place so if none of you are staying behind, I have to close up."

"Um, we'll get out. Right away," Komi says quickly.

Everyone scrambles to get into their cars, waving at Tetsurou and driving off.

"You can drop by tomorrow afternoon, if you'd like," Akaashi says to him. "To see your car."

"Ah, okay," Tetsurou blinks numbly before Akaashi is climbing into his civic as well and turning out the street.

Bokuto tugs at his arm.

"Kuroo, come on," he says. "Since I'm such a great friend, I'm giving you a ride home."

Tetsurou is grinning as he follows Bokuto into his car.

 

* * *

 

It's sometime after midnight, the highway a hazy smear of lights against the windows. A breezy, nostalgic-sounding J-rock song plays softly from the stereo. Tetsurou feels tired, but in a good way.

"I would have totally caught you on one of the later bends," Bokuto starts, petulant.

"Oh yea?" Tetsurou raises an eyebrow. "Guess we need to race again, and we'll know if you're talking out of your ass."

"Hey!" Bokuto frowns. "I thought I showed you today!"

"Yea, you did," Tetsurou laughs good-naturedly. "You're good at driving."

"I told ya I am!" Bokuto barks. "Say I'm cool!"

"Nope," Tetsurou dodges. "Not gonna say that until you beat me."

"Beat _you?"_ Bokuto squawks, exasperated. "Hey _I'm_ number one in Fukurodani! I'm the great Tokyo owl! You need to beat _me!"_

Tetsurou breaks into a loud guffaw while Bokuto pouts more.

"You were the one who challenged me, though," Tetsurou reminds him. "You challenged this stray, nameless cat."

"Yea, so what do I get to be when I win?" Bokuto prompts.

"Number one?"

"Of what? I'm already number one in Fukurodani!"

"Nothing, then," Tetsurou shrugs. "You get to be number one of nothing."

It’s ridiculous. Tetsurou doesn’t even know what they’re talking about anymore, but he’s smiling so hard that his cheeks are starting to hurt. Bokuto has this strange way of egging Tetsurou on to say every silly thing he can think of without feeling stupid about it. At nearly 25, there’s something delightful about being allowed to feel a little childish again.

 

Bokuto turns off the highway at Tetsurou's instruction, cruising into the streets of Shiohama. Tetsurou lives in an apartment block among a cluster of similar buildings, hidden away from the main street. He directs Bokuto to turn into a smaller street, and then take another turn-

Bokuto misses the right turn and heads down a different street instead, bringing them to another neighbourhood.

"Ah that's the wrong turn," Tetsurou remarks.

"Um Kuroo," Bokuto starts, shoulders squeezing together in shame. "I'm actually super bad at directions."

They're ploughing down the street, further and further away from Tetsurou's home.

"H-hey it's fine!" Tetsurou says quickly. "Just take the next left turn-"

"Huh? Oh shit-" Bokuto snaps out of his trance as the car flies past the turn. "I just missed it, didn't I?"

"Kinda, yea."

"Shit, Kuroo I'm so sorry!" Bokuto cries. "Sometimes I just zone in when I'm driving and forget where I am or what turn I'm supposed to make! I just got us super lost, didn't I?"

Tetsurou looks around them - apartment blocks that he isn't exactly familiar with. Bokuto is shrinking further and further, swallowed up in being disappointed in himself. The car is moving almost instinctively at this point, making turns at Bokuto's whims.

"Hey hey, it's alright!" It was not. Not really, but Tetsurou was hoping to hide the quiet panic he feels. "Lets slow down and head back to the main street, okay? I think I can figure it out from there."

Luckily, the next turn Bokuto makes takes them back to the main street on the other side of the town. From there, Tetsurou guides him to circle back onto the correct street. Bokuto slows down to a crawl - almost embarrassing if he weren't so scared of messing up again. To be fair, it was dark and some of the turns weren't exactly easy to catch. Once Bokuto calms down, he tunes into Tetsurou's voice and drives carefully without missing any more turns.

"And...yeah, right here."

Bokuto pulls over outside Tetsurou's apartment block.

"Wow, I did it," Bokuto blinks.

"It wasn't so bad huh?" Tetsurou quips with a coy smile, climbing out of the car.

"Yea," Bokuto answers with a sheepish smile. "You were kind  of like my co-driver there."

"Co-driver?"

"Mhm. Akaashi's my co-driver, actually," Bokuto explains. "It's pretty rare for hashiriya to have co-drivers but Akaashi navigates for me so I can drive better. I'm okay on our own roads but when we race in other areas I can screw up the route if he's not there."

"I see," Tetsurou hums, leaning against the side window. He was new to the idea of co-driving, and as it seems, even newer to the idea of Bokuto Koutarou.

"Hey, thanks for giving me a ride back. You can find your way back, right?"

"Uh...I think so. It should be easier to get on the main street."

Tetsurou digs around his back pocket, pulling out his phone.

"Well if you _do_ get lost, you can call me."

Bokuto grins, retrieving his phone from beside his seat as well and exchanging it with Tetsurou's to enter each other's contacts.

"Have a safe trip back," Tetsurou says, before straightening up and pulling away from the window.

As he climbs up the stairs to his unit, Tetsurou hears the Evo start up, continuing down the streets back towards the highway. He thinks about how the Tokyo Owl, an infamous street racer with tenacious skills, had an appalling sense of direction and a shaky self-esteem. It seems like the Tokyo Owl isn't so much of an urban legend than he is a person.

**Author's Note:**

> Bokuto's car: [Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X 2010](https://www.revvolution.com/image/albums-4-2na-d6-d2-0/2010-mitsubishi-lancer-evolution-gsr-evo-x-stage-3-whiteout-7182.jpg) (X as in ten, sounds way better I promise)  
> Kuroo's car: [Mazda RX-8 2009](http://thumbsnap.com/s/hLIEmhCm.jpg)
> 
> Catch me on [tumblr](http://afterhoursfiction.tumblr.com)


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